


Good Men Wear Red

by mishcakes



Series: No Rest for the Wicked [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Business AU, CEO Lance, M/M, Slow Burn, Smoking, Torture, Violence, broganes, hitman Keith, i wanna be safe here and tag as much as i can, more tags added as I write
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-23
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2019-01-04 10:27:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12167091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mishcakes/pseuds/mishcakes
Summary: In an attempt to outrun his dangerous past, Keith moves to Altea to start again, but old habits die hard, though not for lack of trying, and Keith ends up right back where he started. Except this time his target quickly becomes one of the two most important people in his life.





	1. Prologue

Thousands flock to the big cities in the hopes of making it big. Their dreams are varied but equally optimistic; to somehow becoming successful overnight. The world of big business is full of high stakes and long hours that can drive any family apart. Willpowers are tested and bonds are worn thin. Many who arrive are in no way prepared for what greets them at the door. They get thrown in the deep end where every part of them is tested. They work hard – harder than they ever thought, for minimum reward, finding out the hard way that most actions go unrewarded, that giving your soul to your work is the bare minimum that is required. It proves too much for some and they crumble, shrinking back to where they came from, unable to keep up but not for lack of trying. Others make it through the demanding work and slowly rise to the top, only to constantly be falling short of their ultimate goal of being on top. Their patience is tested when time and time again, others around are promoted instead of them through favouritism and dirty deals. Those who do manage to make it eventually crumble, finding out first hand that behind the money and status is a life of isolation and loneliness. Friendships, let alone relationships are hard to come by and harder to maintain.

In a city as big and bustling as Altea, it takes a certain kind of person to rise to the top. They have to be assertive, dominant, and dedicated, but most importantly, they have to be hard. They can be described as heartless and stubborn and lacking in emotion, often putting the welfare of their company before anything else. In most cases this is true, the wear they faced on their climb up being enough to strip them of everything that once made them themselves. They become a shell of their former warm and kind self.

Lance McClain is none of those things. Well, not entirely those things anyway. He had all those traits, but they rarely took a front seat. He was a great leader, but he was free-spirited and friendly. Lance was the material of a pushover but yet he stood tall in his office overlooking the city. He was the CEO of the biggest company in all of Altea and he seemingly got there overnight. It's unknown how he came to own the tech company - perhaps a business deal or he was the heir to the company, but regardless, he was there. No one ever questioned him about his position either. Everyone loved and adored Lance. He put emotions first and the work environment thrived because of it. Report after report showed that Lion Enterprise ranked number one in both employee and customer satisfaction. Lance was a role model in the business world and was able to set new standards for the treatment of employees.

It had become every business kid’s dream to work for Lance and it showed. As soon as applications were open for a spot, recruitment was bombarded with thousands of applications from anyone and everyone who thought they could stand a chance. Lance took the best of the best but he also offered internships to a few lucky applicants that lacked the skills of his finest employees to train them and expose them to the world of business. He would then send them back out into the world as capable as any of his own employees and with a shining recommendation letter.

From day one of taking over the company, Lance was underestimated. The kid was incredibly smart and hidden underneath the socialite exterior were all the parts that made an incredible mogul. Lance was something that the world had never seen. He was never just a figurehead for the company. He was out there working just as hard as his own employees. Everything that the corporation had become in the three years of Lance taking over was all due to Lance. In that time he managed to increase the efficiency which made their profits and stocks skyrocket and he expanded the company tenfold, merging with other successful companies and leading the pack with endless innovation and were on the path to revolutionising the technological world.

Lance’s lovable and social personality meant he had an army of contacts who were more than willing to help him out whenever he needed it. He had an entire empire at his fingertips and Lance built it himself.

But all his popularity and compassion couldn’t keep Lance safe from everyone. He didn’t know it yet, of course, but he had a huge underground rival that wanted him gone at all costs, desperate to take over the company for their own malicious intent. Being so popular, Lion Enterprise was in almost every home in one form or another, whether it be through software or a device. In the wrong hands, the company could be devastating to the world. Little did Lance know how quickly his world would come crashing down just by taking on one additional employee.

 

 

 

One of the thousands that flocked was Keith. He moved to the big city to escape his violent past, to become secure and fulfill his longing for a normal life. In his mind, a desk job and a small apartment were what he considered to be “normal” and it was exactly what he wanted. Something bland and safe that he could pass his time with, then return home to a cat or a fish and order pizza and watch whatever was on TV. He would be financially stable, maybe he’d meet someone and get married, maybe buy a house far away from his past.

But his past had other ideas. It wasn’t ready to let go of Keith just yet.

Every place that would let him, he handed over a resume and application. His heart raced with anticipation and excitement to begin with when he saw a new email sitting in his inbox. In the beginning, it was easy for him to remain hopeful as the first few responses were kindly worded rejection letters. But as the weeks went by and his outbox drowned in applications, his optimism was crushed more and more as his inbox filled back up with everything from “we regret to inform you that you do not meet our requirements” to “we are sorry but we are not currently in need of new staff.”

Keith didn’t have many skills that were suitable for a big city, but he figured maybe a supermarket would take him, or a news agency, anything to get him that much-needed income to keep him afloat. But again, nothing. Nowhere would hire him. Big companies wanted people with training and experience and retail and convenience stores wanted young kids so they didn’t have to pay as much. Keith became numb to the onslaught of rejection letters. The more places he applied, the more rejection he got. And from places he never even remembered applying to. His options were running low as he had applied to almost every place he could in the city. He had no idea it would be so hard.

His heart soared when he did eventually get an interview. He dressed in the nicest clothes he owned and slicked back his hair. He wanted to do everything right. It was for a receptionist job at an office a few blocks away from him. It was perfect. He spent the whole night prior in front of his mirror rehearsing possible answers to questions he might be asked and he practiced facial expressions and smiling and anything he could to make himself friendlier and happier to optimise his chances of being selected.

All his preparation couldn’t prepare him for the disaster that was the interview. He nailed the one on one portion, the recruiter seemed very happy with Keith’s answers to his questions. It was the practical side that he stumbled on. Majorly. He was sat at a mock front desk and was tasked with handling an average morning. He watched the woman before him stand up and walk away to receive her feedback before he was ushered down in the squeaky desk chair. One of the current receptionists recreated several types of people that would come up to him during the day and another called the phone and did the same. It didn’t seem difficult at first until the activity actually began. He barely had time to breathe before the phone would ring again and he’d have to deal with that while trying to reason with another character all whilst typing up reports at a typing speed that clearly wasn’t impressing the recruiter. He was hot and sweating and trying to calm down to deal correctly with the “visitors.” There was no way this was an average day. Keith couldn’t keep up. Perhaps it was because Keith had no idea how to deal with people and so each interaction took longer than needed, but that was a skill he could learn. With a bit of training, he could stand his own against the others that had been working in reception for a while.

But that dream was short lived as the company was in need of someone who could hold their own right off the bat. Keith moped all the way home, stuck in the endless cycle of not getting the experience he needed because nowhere would hire the inexperienced. He was completely and utterly defeated, but the thought of returning home was enough to keep him strong. But at that moment, he felt useless. So he called the one person he knew he could talk to – Shiro. Shiro was rightfully upset that Keith ran off with a vague and cryptic reason, but he respected Keith and trusted him enough to not pry more than he needed, for which Keith was eternally thankful for. Hearing Shiro’s voice and reassuring words built him back up. Shiro always knew just what to say.

His funds were running low and eventually, his older brother moved in with him to support him while he continued his search. Shiro did all he could to boost up Keith’s resume and performance and together they worked to build on Keith’s skills. It appeared to work, as Keith scored two more interviews after that. But again, he was outmatched, even though he really had improved. Keith’s frustrations showed and tensions soon ran high between the siblings in the small yet pricey apartment. Shiro wanted to support Keith and his decision to move away, but he was constantly hinting that he should move back home where he had a place and a job and could afford to eat every night. But Shiro didn’t know. He didn’t know why Keith was running. He didn’t know why Keith didn’t tell anyone but him where he was going. And he never will find out. Shiro was the only person Keith trusted and loved and he couldn’t stand to see Shiro’s opinion of him change. There’s no way Shiro would look at him the same ever again after finding out what he was running from. Returning home would guarantee his secret would be revealed and Keith couldn’t have that.

But he couldn’t ask any more of Shiro. Soon Shiro would be out of money too and they’d be royally fucked, and it’d all be Keith’s fault. All because of a stupid decision he made years ago. He couldn’t do that to Shiro, not after everything he did for Keith.

Keith had no one else to go to and nowhere to turn. He was officially out of options and his what little spirit remained was crushed, stomped into the ground by his life. It was unfair, but he figured it was probably fair, considering all he’d done previously. Karma was coming back for him, claws bared and all Keith could do was let her take what she needed.

So that’s why he snuck out late one night, address scribbled on a piece of paper that he held scrunched in his hand. He was desperate and out of options.

_Just one more, then I’m done._

_Just one more._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im back! i learned a lot from my last fic and this time im not setting myself deadlines so i can plan and take more time to think things through. i hope u decide to stick with me on this and i hope i can do my idea justice <3


	2. Chapter 2

It was midnight and Keith’s world was spinning. He was losing control of his life, locked in what felt like an endless tug-of-war between him and fate, and although he was losing his footing, he wasn’t ready to lose. The drunken haze that surrounded him offered feeble protection and warmth from the weight of the world that rested on his shoulders.

He downed the last of his drink and flopped back on his bed, allowing the spinning to take over his whole body. He closed his eyes and watched the dance of patterns play on his closed eyelids while he floated, the queasy feeling in his stomach only growing with the addition of alcohol.

He was stuck in a corner with nowhere to go. He had no more money to move elsewhere and going back home with Shiro would land him right back where he started but this time it could prove deadly. His old boss was never too fond of his men leaving. The day Keith left was the day he became a wanted man and going home would be walking right into the waiting arms of his boss. Even having Shiro staying with him might have lured his past to him, but it was unlikely enough that he could remain settled and calm.

At the time, Keith didn’t realise that becoming involved with that essentially meant he was selling himself to his new boss and his boss was free to do with him as he wished. At the time, Keith just needed some extra cash. He had no idea what he was really getting himself into.

He should have known, though, that turning to crime wouldn’t have a pleasant outcome, but he was young and stupid. The shady guy he owed money to said it was just a bank job. A quick in and out and then he would have the money to pay off his debt.

The job came and went and Keith handed the money over thinking he was free to continue his life and not look back. It was a rush and a thrill to hold a shotgun up to the tellers as the others who were with him shouted their demands. He never felt a rush like it and deep down he wanted it again, but he wasn’t that stupid. One bank job then he was done.

Or so he thought. Weeks after, when he thought he was in the clear, he was abducted on his walk home. A bag was tossed over his head and he kicked and punched wildly but to no avail. His abductors were able to knock him out after he ignored the warnings to “shut up” and when he came to, he was strapped firmly to a chair with his boss kneeling right in front of him. His proximity was enough to set Keith off into a panic. He could feel his boss’s sticky breath over his face as he snarled at Keith, eyes hard and empty.

Keith tried to speak, to spit insults and profanities to everyone in the room but he quickly came to realise that he was gagged, a piece of rough fabric crammed in his mouth causing drool to begin to fall down his chin. Keith pulled at his bounds and his boss simply laughed.

“You think you can get out that easily? No, no no. You see,” The man stood and paced around behind Keith and snaked his hands loosely around Keith’s neck, “Once you’re in, you’re in.”

Keith’s eyes darted around the room for anything that could help him but it was empty. An old warehouse probably by the docks. Dark and isolated, no one around for miles.

“You’re family now, Keith. We’re your family just as much as Shiro is.” He knew Keith’s name. He knew Shiro’s name. This man had power that Keith did not want to mess with. Power that messing with could lead to mass destruction in his already fragile life.  “And you’d better get used to it. So, why was it that you weren’t answering the phone I gave you? Seems a little rude. Almost like you were avoiding us. Trying to leave us. Do you know what we do to people who try to leave us, Keith?”

Keith’s eyes widened and panic rose like a flood in his throat as a man was wheeled out ten or so feet in front of him. He was screaming into his gag and fighting harder than Keith had against his bounds. Something was going on and Keith did not want to find out what. The goon returned with a table covered in old tools stained in what could only be blood.

The boss’s hands moved up to Keith’s face and held him there, facing the other man and whispered into his ear, “You’re going to want to watch all of this, just so there’s no confusion as to what would happen if you try and run away from us.”

The goon and the boss shared a nod before the goon got to work. Keith’s stomach flipped at the sight. He couldn’t properly see what the goon was doing, but if the bloody screams were anything to go by, it wasn’t good. The man screamed and cried and sobbed in agony as the goon picked up more tools from the table next to him. Knives, pliers, drills, any tool and every tool was there and ready to be used in this nightmare. Tears fell from Keith’s eyes and into the hands that kept him in place. He supposed he should be thankful that the goon was blocking the full view. Keith held himself through the screams but then the goon picked up the hammer. Keith couldn’t see what was happening, but the sound of the hammer coming down and crushing every bone in the man’s hand made his stomach empty. The sting of vomit slowly made its way up his throat and he tried to swallow it down but he threw up into his mouth, the vomit trapped by the gag. He could feel it seeping out and down his face to his shirt and he cried and gagged as he struggled to breathe against the continuing bile that rose from the depths of his stomach.

The boss must have taken pity on him seeing the mess he’d become and let go of his face. He loosed the gag enough for Keith to be able to expel the contents of his mouth all over himself and tightened it back up. The overwhelming taste of his stomach contents a welcome distraction from what was happening right in front of him.

The boss clapped suddenly and the goon stopped what he was doing. He stepped away from the man and that was when Keith could truly see the extent of the damage. He was alive, barely, but he was covered in blood and bone-deep gashes covered his bare chest and arms. Keith couldn’t look away. It was something straight out of a horror movie.

“Good job. You can take him away now,” the boss said to the goon before turning back to Keith. “And I hope that demonstration served enough of an explanation.”

Keith nodded furiously, desperate to get out of there.

“Good. I have another phone for you and I expect you to pick up when I call. Is that understood?” Keith nodded again and he flinched when the boss tucked the phone into Keith’s jacket pocket. “Excellent. I look forward to seeing you develop into a valuable member of our family.”

The boss clapped his hands again and two more goons came out of the shadows. They threw a bag over Keith’s head and Keith could feel himself being untied and lifted.

“Oh, and one more thing,” the boss added, stilling the goons with Keith still in their arms. “We go by code names here. I am Sendak and you will report solely to me from now on, Red. Welcome to the Galra.” Sendak must have motioned for the goons to take him away because he was moving again before being shoved roughly into another car. Keith didn’t bother struggling at that point. He was too scared and stunned to really process anything other than the sick feeling he felt deep in his gut.

Red. Red was his new identity. His new life. His mistake to bare.

The car ride was over as soon as it had begun, or so it felt like it, and Keith was being pushed from the car and falling on hands and knees against the dirty footpath. He removed the bag from his head in time for him to see a black car speeding off into the distance. He was in a dark alleyway that stank of dumpsters and piss and now his own vomit covered self. He crawled over to the wall, unaware that he had spectators as they walked past him.

“Fucking drunks,” one of them spat viciously at him.

He pulled his knees up to his chest and took a deep breath, letting the tears flow down his face. He was fucked. Fucked fucked fucked.

Fucked.

Visions and flashbacks of what he saw that night haunted his dreams. Keith barely slept, the back of his eyelids replaying the memory like a twisted horror all of his very own. He jumped every time his phone made a noise, thinking it was his time to be called out for whatever Sendak wanted him for.

The next week he got his first call. He almost let it ring out completely, but remembered back to what that poor man faced, so he swallowed his fears and answered. If he was to stand a chance at getting himself out of this mess, he’d best do as he was told. It was for another bank job but this time he was given explicit instructions to shoot to kill. That job was the first time Keith killed another human being.

Despite what Keith thought, it didn’t get easier. Nightmares still ran rampant through his sleep and a cloud of guilt smothered his soul. But what did become easier was his ability to detach himself from his work – enable a sort of autopilot when it came to killing. What mattered was that he could do it in the moment, whatever emotions or effects it had on him were for him to deal with alone that night, to stomp down like an overflowing trash can that would eventually reach its capacity before spilling its disgusting contents all over the floor. If he could do his job then he would be safe, _Shiro_ would be safe. Life after life, job after job. He became skilled in hand to hand combat and was sent in on the most important missions. Soon, Keith had left simple bank jobs in the wind and was on to plain murder. Infiltration jobs and bounties, anything that required skill and precision, stealth and cunning, Keith was there.

The heavy weight on his conscious meant that Keith never spent any of the money he earned. He stored it all away in a cutout in his laundry wall. He was loaded. Anything he wanted he could afford. However, even if he could spend any of his earnings, it would most certainly raise red flags around him. He was a messenger, he delivered papers. He could barely afford rent some months and he couldn’t have anyone looking into him. He thought about taking some and using it for rent and bills, but that would just mean that his home was then tainted by the blood he spilt.

Back in the present, reality hit Keith when his stomach heaved, desperate to expel the mix of alcohol that had been churning for hours, pulling his head violently back down from the clouds. He stumbled off his bed and hauled into the bathroom where he collapsed to the cool tile, scrambling for the toilet. His throat burned as more and more came up from his stomach, not having eaten anything in days. His daze settled enough for him to recompose himself and roll to lean against the wall. He reached up to the towel reach and yanked down one of the old towels he had hanging to wipe himself clean.

He let out a frustrated groan and fumbled around in his jacket pocket for the pack of cigarettes he bought earlier that day. He promised Shiro he would quit when he moved and he did, for the most part. He let the occasional one slip when life became too much but he kept to his word. It was a bad habit that he picked up to help him cope with his past life. But it seemed fitting at a time like this.

He slipped one out and rolled it between his lips before lighting it up, taking a drag and filling his lungs. There was no doubt that Shiro would smell the smoke, whether it be on him or when the puffs he breathed out drifted through the small apartment. He wouldn’t be surprised if, in his mad dash to the bathroom, he woke Shiro and he was waiting for Keith to come out to have one of his talks. Shiro just wanted Keith to be safe and Keith couldn’t even do that for him. Shiro deserved better.

Still drunk, he pulled his phone from his pants pocket and dialled in the number that had become so familiar over the last few years. He typed slowly into the text box.

**Keith: i heard i should come here for a job**

A short pause before a reply.

**If you have this number then you know what you’re getting yourself into, correct?**

**K: correct**

Another short pause in reply

**Area**

**K: Altea**

Keith stared at his phone as the screen went black from inactivity. What felt like hours passed and he had almost passed out when his phone vibrated in his hand, waking him back up.

**18 Twelfth St. 11:30pm tonight. Go alone. Instructions will follow**

Keith acknowledged the message and set his phone aside. He let his head lull back and his eyelids fall closed, the cold tile refreshing against his burning body. Sleep came to him quickly and spared him any nightmares in favour of an empty and restless recharge.

The bathroom door clicked open, waking Keith. The first thing he noticed was the pain in his neck and back from sleeping in the bathroom. The next thing he noticed was Shiro looking down at him. He didn’t want Shiro to see him like that. He was a mess who stank of alcohol and cigarettes and disappointment.

Instead of lecturing Keith about addiction and coping, Shiro pushed the bin away to make room to sit next to Keith. He put his arm protectively on Keith’s shoulder and pulled him tight against his side like he did when they were kids. Keith used to tell Shiro everything and it killed him not to be able to tell him about Sendak and the Galra and that he was the reason Shiro lost his arm. “Freak accident” his ass. But Shiro not knowing was the only way to keep him safe. Every time Keith sees Shiro’s prosthetic, he wants to run away forever, fearing what other pain he’d cause to him, but just as Shiro was all Keith had left, Keith was all Shiro had left as well. He’d hurt him enough. He was at a crossroads, but he wasn’t going to leave Shiro until he absolutely had to.

“It’s alright, Keith,” Shiro whispered. “We’ll figure something out. I know there’s something else going on when you left like that, but I trust you, okay? I trust you. You’re a good kid. Mum would be proud of you.”

The emotion of everything proved too much for Keith and tears slowly began to fall from his face to Shiro’s chest. He wasn’t a good kid and no, his mother would not be proud of him. He let her down, too. Shiro hushed him softly but let him weep for as long as he needed to. As much as he wanted to run away from Shiro, he was eternally grateful that Shiro was still there for him, despite not deserving it in the slightest.

Keith calmed down eventually but made no attempt to move from the safety of his older brother. For that moment he was a kid again, his end of the world being his goldfish getting the royal flush. He was a kid upset at the loss of his first pet that he took care of more than he did himself. He was a kid, upset and crawling into his big brother’s bed where together they made a blanket fort and Shiro held him and comforted him like he had always done. He was a kid with a family and a bright future.

Shiro cleared his throat and patted Keith. “Hey. I think it’s time you got yourself cleaned up.” He stood and took Keith with him, keeping a steady hand on his back until he was stable on his own feet. “I’ll go get us something nice for lunch, alright?”

Keith nodded and watched Shiro leave, closing the door to give him his privacy from the empty apartment. His hangover had subsided enough to allow him to function properly and think clearly, so when he stepped out of the shower and saw his phone underneath the towel rack, the memory of the texts exchanged coming back to him.

There the instructions sat on his lock screen, waiting for his decision.

He wrapped himself in his towel and searched his clothes and the entirety of the bathroom for his cigarettes. He wasn’t just craving one, he needed one. The addiction forced more frustration out of him than was needed. Shiro must have taken the pack and his lighter with him, swiped them when they were together on the floor.

Keith grumbled and picked up his clothes, then trudging off to his room to find something clean to throw on. He emerged from his room when Shiro came back with a bag of Chinese food as well as a small bag of groceries. He left the groceries in the kitchen and took a seat next to Keith on the couch.

From the bag of Chinese, he pulled a bottle of water and a box of Panadol and tossed them at Keith. “This’ll help your headache. You feeling better?”

“Yeah. Thanks.” Keith dove into the food as soon as he could. “God I needed this,” he mumbled around a mouthful of noodles. His stomach had been crying for anything to fill it.

“You know you can tell me anything, right?” Keith stilled. God did he want to just spill everything right then and there. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to hide anything from me. You don’t have to be alone on whatever this is.”

Keith sighed and put down his container, suddenly not feeling hungry anymore. “I wish I could,” he muttered under his breath.

Shiro just hummed. He was too patient for his own good with Keith. Keith knew it was hurting him that Keith wasn’t being open and honest. And it was hurting Keith too. If Shiro knew, the risk of getting caught in the crossfire aside, he would never leave Keith, but he’d never look at him the same way again. Everything Keith had done, the chaos and carnage he left in his wake. It was too much to not change their relationship.

“What do you say we fire up that dusty old thing down there that you call a console? Put all this job stuff away for a while.” Shiro offered in an attempt to lighten the mood and put Keith at ease at least just for the afternoon.

But with 11:30pm approaching closer by the minute, he couldn’t possibly think he could find a distraction big enough to put him at ease. He knew what decision he had to make, but it didn’t make it any easier. “I think I’m gonna go for a walk. Get some fresh air.”

“Oh. Alright. Be safe.” Shiro’s disappointment dissolved quickly into a soft and kind smile.

Keith found himself on a bench in the middle of a park a few blocks away from his place. The late afternoon sun beat down on him, warming him in between chilly breezes that swept through the park. He stared at the message that still sat on his lock screen.

**_18 Twelfth St. 11:30pm tonight. Go alone._ **

His mind was made up but it didn’t ease his nerves. He was walking right back into the dragon’s den. He’d dealt with these people beforehand he knew the risks, but he also knew how to deal with them when the time came to leave. It was incredibly unlikely that he would be recognised, considering his determination to remain as anonymous and absent as he could possibly be the last time. He kept to the shadows and he showed his face to very few but the doubt that he did well enough still tugged at his mind.

Sooner than he would have liked, the time came for him to go. He shrugged on his jacket and crept to the door. He looked back to where Shiro’s sleeping figure breathed calmly in the dark on his apartment, lit weakly by the glow of the city. He was doing this for Shiro. Or at least that’s what he told himself because it was easier to chalk it up to that than trying to piece together everything that was floating around in his mind.

The cold night air hit his face and he shivered when he stepped out into the street to begin his walk to the meeting that would change his life forever, in ways he never expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright i will admit i was a bit ambitious with my word count goals but heres hoping ill get better and writing longer chapters  
> [t](http://kentuckyfriedcapitalism.tumblr.com/)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just wanna mention quickly that i chose to keep my own ocs as lotors generals because it was easier than rewriting it and i put too much effort into naming them to not use them so

The alley he was lead to was dark and musky. A streetlight out by the footpath barely lit his way as he followed the instructions he was given. Keith flicked on his phone to check the time. 11:28 pm. He was right on time assuming he had gotten the place right. The instructions were vague, but Keith had gotten good at interpreting the often cryptic instructions from his time with The Galra. He was sure he was at the right address, but there was no door on the side of the building anywhere. But he pushed on, further and further down the alley to the dumpster that was mentioned in the instructions. The building looked abandoned, which he figured it would look like since the business held inside did not need any extra attention drawn to it by having a flashy exterior. Cracks ran up the dusty bricks and graffiti covered the grey colour in a rainbow of tasteless tags. A fire escape climbed its way to the top of the building a few floors up but was missing some railing and stairs. Keith was just surprised that the escape hadn’t been removed to prevent any employees from escaping their clutch.

Keith’s footsteps echoed loudly in the empty alley, seemingly only amplified by the darkness. He approached the dumpster and followed the last instruction point in the text he received an hour ago and he knocked on the wall. There wasn’t the dull thump he expected from knocking on brick, but instead, his pounding made a hollow boom that came with rapping on a metal door.

He jumped back when the wall moved, stance becoming slightly defensive. The wall had blended perfectly with the bricks and it moved inward, then away to the side, revealing two guards that held giant guns aimed at his chest and head. He held his hands up in surrender but the guards didn’t ease off of him.

“What do you want?” One of them growled, following it by spitting a large glob of saliva near Keith’s feet.

“Uh,” Keith froze. He was unsure why he froze though as he had dealt with these people before. Well, not these people exactly, but he was at another one of the Galra’s operations. He knew each branch was similar, as their head ran a tight ship. Zarkon never fucked around and made sure every one of his men followed his rules to a tee. He had rules and regulations for everything and he made sure that they were enforced. “I’m here for a job.”

The guards whispered to themselves before turning their attention back to Keith. “You may proceed.”

The two lead Keith through the building and up to the top floor. The lower floors were just as he had expected. They were dark and bare and from what he could see from doors that had been left ajar, it was where the men were debriefed or prepared for missions. It was the top floor intrigued him. It looked like someone lived there. Usually, the base was used only for meetings and rendezvous, hence why they were shit holes and had no more furniture than a table and a chalkboard and sometimes a coffee machine if Sendak was feeling nice. Which was very rarely.

The top floor was painted a royal purple that was deepened by dim purple lighting. Gold decals ran in intricate spirals and patterns along the corridor from the stairwell to the room at the very end. As the three of them neared the door, Keith noticed that it was covered in velvet that matched the dark purple of the carpet flooring. Whoever was behind that door either really loved purple or was larger than life and Keith was betting on the latter. One of the guards pressed a buzzer beside the door and they were let into the room.

The room was just as Keith had expected. It was luxurious and purple and gold trimmed and right in the centre of the back wall was a giant couch that sat a man who Keith assumed was the boss. He had his feet kicked up on the detailed coffee table that stood in front of the couch and held a bowl of grapes in his lap. Long white hair flowed effortlessly over his shoulders and covered most of his purple suit. Looking above the man he saw a giant painting that shared the same face of the boss sitting below. The guy had a self-portrait in his office. Yeah. Definitely a larger than life type.

A small ruffle of papers drew Keith’s attention to a woman on one side of the room. She sat at a large table which was probably used for meetings. It was covered in stacks of paper and folders and the woman paid no attention to him. Over the other side sat another woman who typed furiously on a laptop sitting in a beanbag chair. Keith stopped at the door following the lead of the two guards and waited for directions.

“Thank you, men.” The boss stood and stepped a few steps closer to Keith. Even being feet away from him, Keith could tell he’d be easily dwarfed by this man in height. “Unari, Takx. Take over.”

Two other women that Keith didn’t see before stepped up and the men that escorted Keith in bowed and left the room. The women took their place and even if Keith was taller than his 5 foot 10 self, he’d still be heads shorter than the two. It must be a tactic that this boss employs – hiring giants to use their height to intimidate anyone who steps through those velvet doors. It was honestly working. He could easily be overpowered by them if he let his guard down.

“Please, take a seat.” The boss pointed to the couch he was sitting on previously and Keith hesitantly moved over to take a seat. It was so soft and it almost swallowed him whole. He struggled to regain his posture in the sinking but managed to pull himself up into a decent position. Unarti and Takx took their place either side of the couch, handguns visible and strapped to their hips.

The boss stepped towards Keith again and looked him up and down. “I heard that you were in need of a job, is that correct?”

Keith nodded.

“And you got our number from one of Sendak’s agents?”

Keith nodded again.

“A quiet type, huh? I like him already,” he aimed at the woman looking over papers. She looked up and rolled her eyes at him before burring herself back into the stacks that sat in front of her.

“Alright. Well,” he began to pace the in short lines back and forth. “I suppose that means you know what kind of operation we run here?”

Another nod.

“Good. But before we get to introductions, I want to see if you are worthy enough to join me here. I know certain other people take whoever stumbles in of the street, but I run a much tighter ship.” His pacing stopped and he moved towards the corner of the room. “Unarti. Takx. You know what to do.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Keith saw one of the women reaching for her handgun. _Shit_ , Keith thought as he stood up, stumbling a bit in the softness of the chair. It was possible that this boss just liked soft cushions, but with Keith’s mind in battle mode, it was more likely that it was like that to prevent him from getting a head start. Both women were already on his tale. Keith was nimble and agile, and it showed as threw himself into a roll to barely avoid a bullet headed straight for his shoulder. He had no idea if those were real bullets rounds or not but knowing that this was the Galra, and the boss had said they only take the best, the chances were that they were real and would definitely hurt to get hit.

He noticed that only one was shooting at him, the other chasing him down as he ducked and weaved to avoid the whizzing bullets headed his way. The shooter wasn’t aiming to kill, just to wound judging by where she was aiming. He had to take her out first if he stood a chance. He skidded to a stop and span around just as the other woman caught up to him. He could use her as a shield for the time being to get closer or to come up with a plan. There was nothing in the room he could use besides that coffee table that he couldn’t get to. He was used to environments that had more to play with, stuff to throw or hide behind. And of course, he would have his knife. He knew better and from experience that bringing a weapon to a Galra base was a bad idea. His old one had metal detectors at the door and anyone unauthorised with a weapon was hauled off for questioning. The loud shouts lead Keith to believe that there wasn’t much questioning being done.

Keith was no longer being shot at now that the other woman was in front of him, but that just meant a new challenge. This woman was throwing skilful punches left and right. Even though he danced and ducked and blocked, he was overwhelmed, unable to land a punch and couldn’t escape the harsh blows that got through. He got knocked back a bit but was able to keep his defensive stance to prevent a total knock out. He shouldn’t take it personally, he was good, but these girls were the best of the best. He should just be proud that he was at least holding his ground. Even if he could escape the relentless onslaught of punches and kicks, he’d be shot at again and there was nowhere to go. He didn’t have to beat them, he just had to hold his ground long enough to prove that he was worthy of being hired. But this was Keith, and he was determined to take them both down.

Keith took a step forward, closer to the woman and she countered that with her own step backwards to keep her distance ideal for her swings. He could walk her backwards, using her as a shield to get closer to the one with the gun. As the gunner moved, he moved, positioning his human barrier between him and potential bullets. His concentration slipped slightly as he thought of what to do and he missed the knee that went straight to his stomach. Keith wheezed and hunched forward. He was vulnerable like this but it also provided him with a way out.

Keith had to move quickly before he faced an elbow to his back. Still wheezing from the blow to his stomach, he gripped her knees. They had drifted to where the table was now a foot or so behind him and the shooter was back by the door. In one swift movement, he hoisted the woman up and over his shoulder, sending her crashing down into the table. She was heavy, but Keith had learned to use an opponent’s weight and height to his advantage. He wasn’t a rookie anymore. Running in knives blazing wasn’t a good strategy if he wanted to get out alive.

He was now exposed though, and the woman he just flipped would no doubt be back on him in a matter of seconds. But his plan of taking the gun went out the window when he watched it go sliding across the floor and the wielder now barrelling towards him. Keith charged towards her as well, but right as she was about to attack, he jumped to the side. She stumbled and Keith too that chance to deliver a kick to her rips. She hissed and struck back, her fist colliding with his shoulder as he tried to move around her. She spun around and Keith saw the other woman was close by. If he let both of them get to him at the same time he would be fucked. They were just too good and he didn’t have his knife.

Keith dropped to his knees, a move that threw the woman off and it allowed him to spin, kicking his leg out and colliding with her leg, knocking her off balance and sending her stumbling back. He took that chance to grab her arm and spin her into the other who was approaching on his left side. She managed to avoid her colleague by quickly jumping back and it gave Keith the space he needed to run to the broken table. He picked up a piece of splintered wood that he could use as a weapon. He looked over quickly to see the boss. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He wore a small smirk that put Keith off.

Now armed, Keith turned back and let the ladies come to him.

One of them laughed when they saw him holding the piece of wood like he would his knife. “What are you going to do, kid? Give me a splinter?” She started to head towards him and the taunt set Keith off. He charged towards them and pulled his arm back to strike. The woman who had been shooting at him earlier raised her arm to block, but Keith tossed the wood over to his other hand. He was close enough to her that she had no time to react before Keith was dragging the pointed tip of the wood through her black skivvy. The wood wasn’t sharp enough to do any real damage, but enough to draw blood and cause her to back away to reassess her strategy. The force needed to cut broke away some shards that embedded themselves into Keith’s hand. They stung, but his plan was working.

The other woman wasn’t by her side anymore. Keith spun around, knowing that she would have moved behind him. He raised his wood in his splintered hand, only to drop it when he saw the barrel of a handgun just inches from his face. _Shit_. He forgot that the other one hadn’t discarded her gun and there she was, using it then and catching Keith off guard.

The boss began to clap and make his way over to where they were standing. The woman lowered her gun but still had it aimed at Keith’s knees. The woman that Keith had cut made her way over to take her position beside Keith. She was bleeding lightly and held a hand over the gash.

“Impressive. I’ve never seen a new recruit last so long before.” The boss held out his hand for Keith to shake, and he did. His hand was cold and he held tight. “My name is Lotor. I run this operation. The one holding the gun at you is Takx. The one to your right is Unarti. They’re my muscle. Over there is Enzana. She’s my technical genius. And over there looking over those documents is Zeia. She’s my right-hand woman and valued strategist. Welcome to The Galra.”

He could tell that Lotor ran a completely different ship than Sendak did. He never had to prove his worth to join there. Looking back, it would have been good for him if he did. Sure, he might have ended up broken and bruised, but it would mean he could shrink away back home and put that idea behind him to move on to the next. Which no doubt would have been better than joining The Galra.

“Your timing could not have been better. We have a new assignment that requires someone young to take.” Lotor nodded to Takx and she lowered her weapon. She stepped back, giving Keith some personal space but still stood close, keeping guard. Lotor motioned to Zeia who came over to him and handed over a blue folder. Lotor flicked through the folder, pulling out particular pages. “We need someone to pose as an intern for Lion Enterprise. Our last infiltration operation failed. It lead to that brat taking over and bringing his own staff, which meant our crew was let go before we could complete our mission. But, fortunately for us, him taking over the company grew and expanded it into almost every home in the world. What we need you to do is upload a virus that Ezana created that will put the control of the company and all devices and software that bares Lion’s print under our control.  We aim to destroy the corporation and take back what was ours.”

Lotor handed out the small stack of papers to Keith. “What’s all this?”

“That is your new identity and how we will be referring to you.” Lotor crossed his arms, a small smug grin spread across his face. “I have taken the liberty to create a whole new life for you. In there is your diploma from the Altea School of Business, your resume, your paperwork and acceptance letter into Lion’s internship, as well as general personal details like name, birthday and bank details. Speaking of bank details, your pay will go into an account that only I can access but I can assure you, you will receive 70% of what you earn on your internship.”

Keith flicked through the papers. Everything Lotor said checked out. There were certificates of graduation and government details and a bank card and a birth certificate. He froze when he saw the name that stared back at him. Lotor seemed to pick up on his unease.

“What? Not a fan of the name Keith? We have one for a female if you’d prefer that, if that’s how you identify.”

Keith Anderson. Right there in front of him. It wasn’t completely his name, but it was enough to send him into a panic. Out of all the names, why Keith? Surely it was a coincidence. As Lotor has said, he had one for a female, which implied that these were created before he was recruited for it. There was no way they could know his name was Keith and he had to calm himself before he gave himself away. There was no doubt in his mind that Lotor had been informed of him and his previous escape and he couldn’t reveal his true identity for that sake. “Oh, no. Not at all,” Keith tried for an excuse that would pass. “It’s just a little overwhelming, you know? Seeing a whole new life in my hands.” Keith was impressed at his improv skills.

“I understand. But this mission requires you to get close to your target in order to upload our virus. You must gain the trust of that weasel. It’ll be slow so you will have time to adjust to your new life, Keith.” Lotor just saying his name was enough to give him chills. It was so slimy and made Keith’s stomach twist uncomfortably. “Here is the last piece you need. It has all you need to know about the company, your target, and your internship. I expect you to do a good job and I want a report on your progress whenever I call. Do you understand?”

“Understood.”

“Excellent,” Lotor grinned. “You may leave now.”

Keith looked around the room almost for confirmation of Lotor’s orders. The harsh glares he received from Lotor’s generals were enough for him and he headed away and towards the door. Through the door were the two guards that had lead him in. The two of them lead Keith back out the way he came and slammed the door the second he stepped back into the alley.

He snuck back into his apartment, trying desperately not to make any noise as he locked his door and crept past Shiro to his room. He froze dead in his tracks when he heard movement from the couch, but nothing else followed. He let out his breath and continued. Shiro was just tossing in his sleep. He flicked on his bedside lamp and kicked off his shoes. Sat on his bed, he flicked through the papers he was given again. He’d need to memorise his new identity. In a way, sharing the same first name as his alias was a blessing, as it would be a bit easier for him to keep up his secret.  


On the bottom of his stack was where he stuck the sheet about Lion Enterprise. He pulled it out and put the rest aside to look over again later. On the sheet were the time and date of his first day, the address and everything he needed to make it there and sign in himself. Further down was some background on the company. According to the sheet, the old CEO and owner died and if Keith didn’t know any better, he was murdered by the hands of The Galra. In his will were instructions that left his company to his son. The kid, Lance McClain, was only 19 when he took over. His father probably didn’t expect to die so soon and Lance would take over when he was older, but the profit figures on the page suggested that he was more than capable despite being so young. The information covered everything about the company’s figures and production, but it never mentioned how long ago it was that Lance took over. Perhaps that information was left out on purpose. Either way, Keith knew better than to ask about things that didn’t matter. He could have done a quick Google search, but in all honesty, he didn’t care enough to do so.

He tucked the papers under his bed and let himself drift off into a wrestles sleep filled with old memories that had resurfaced upon his re-entering of The Galra. He had to be careful this time.

The next morning over breakfast, he gave Shiro the news that he scored an internship. Shiro was over the moon and so proud of Keith, especially since he knew the extent of Lion and what that name on a resume would mean for Keith’s chances of getting another job if he didn’t get one there at the end.

“I had no idea you even applied for that internship,” Shiro said between bites of his toast.

“Neither did I. I guess I thought it was a lost cause so I didn’t put any hope into it.” Keith felt shitty having to lie to Shiro again, but it wasn’t like he was out murdering people again, no. He was working in an office, gaining skills and knowledge that he could use later on and all he had to do was upload a virus. He had no need to feel as guilty as he did about lying to Shiro. If anything, this mission was a positive experience for him.

What wasn’t a positive experience for him was trying to find an appropriate outfit to wear on his first day. He had a week since his meeting with Lotor and his first day, and yet not once did the thought cross his mind that he’d have to dress professionally. It was early in the morning, too early for Keith’s liking, and he was throwing everything out of his wardrobe in search of something, anything that was passable. Shiro heard his commotion and knocked on his door before pushing in to see Keith surrounded in clothes.

Keith didn’t even care that he was only wearing underwear when Shiro walked in, he just needed help. Desperately. “Shiro, I have nothing! What do I wear?”

Shiro just laughed. “Alright, move over.” Shiro stepped in and began to ruffle through Keith’s clothes. He pulled out certain shirts and held them over pants to match them. Keith left his bedroom and Shiro to stress-pace a few laps of the small living room. When he returned, Shiro had a few shirts pulled out an old blazer Keith thought he donated.

“Here. This grey v-neck with that black blazer will do for your top.” Shiro tossed them to Keith who began to put the items on. “Where are those dress jeans I bought you for Christmas a few years ago?”

Keith shrugged but thought back to where he put things he never wore but couldn’t throw out because they were gifts. “No, wait. They’re in a box on the top shelf of the linen press.” He cringed when Shiro called out his name with that annoyed tone when he found the box. It was full of clothing items that Shiro had bought for him over the years. Jeans, t-shirts, sweaters, everything Keith never wore. He did appreciate Shiro trying to class up his look, but he preferred his black skinny jeans and a plain t-shirt with a pullover hoodie or his leather jacket. Keith was a simple man. He didn’t need anything fancy like a knitted sweater or dress jeans.

Shiro came back with the box in his hands and a frown on his face. “These were expensive, you know.”

“My shirt cost me five bucks. Don’t guilt me because you spent way more than you needed to.”

Shiro tipped the box on the bed and pulled out the dark denim jeans that were at the bottom and handed them to Keith. “Make sure to tuck your shirt in. Do you have a belt?”

“Like I said. My shirt cost me five bucks. Do you really think I would own a belt?” Keith shimmied the jeans up and on. They actually fit him well. He didn’t like that they weren’t skinny and in no way hugged his calves, but if he wanted to look at all like he belonged at Lion that day, he’d have to suck it up and deal with it.

“Alright. Hang on.” Shiro disappeared and returned a minute later with a black belt. “There. Try that.”

“What about shoes? I only have my combat boots and a pair of uggs.” The belt almost wrapped around Keith’s tiny waist twice. He forgot how small he was compared to his older brother. Keith could only dream of putting on muscle like Shiro did. But instead, he still looked like a teenage boy who hit the gym more than he attended class. It didn’t help that he couldn’t grow a beard either. Not that he wanted to and it was nice not having to shave often, but he’d like the option. He envied the genetics that Shiro got that he missed out on.

“Well, you can save the uggs until you run the place but until then, your boots will have to do. We can get you something nicer on the weekend or if you finish early.” Shiro stood back and looked Keith over. “I think you’re good to go. Just make sure you brush your hair.”

Keith turned to look at himself in the mirror. He had to admit that he did look pretty good, despite his hair sticking up in all directions from where he had pulled it in his stress of finding an outfit. He didn’t look like a professional businessman, but he didn’t look like a broke college kid either which was certainly a start. He looked smart. All that he was missing was a pair of glasses to make him look even smarter.

Shiro was kind enough to offer to drive him to work on his first day. It would have been quicker to walk what with the amount of traffic during rush hour in Altea, but it was nice not having to walk and it meant he wouldn’t be all dishevelled when he arrived.

Shiro pulled up in front of the giant glass building at the address that Lotor had given him. He kept his paperwork in his pocket along with the ID card he had been given a few days after his first meeting with Lotor. He had mentioned in the papers he gave Keith to meet at the central park coffee vendor to receive his ID and new phone to use when contacting The Galra. He arrived at the time specified and took a seat. He ordered a coffee and soon a woman who he recognised as Enzana joined him at his table with a box wrapped up like a gift. “ _Happy birthday, rookie,_ ” she had said and then stood, leaving Keith behind with the box and an overpriced coffee. The ID card was a license and he had no memory of ever taking a picture for, but it was definitely from the day he met with The Galra. His face was red from where he had been punched. Again, he had no need to worry that they knew who he was. They didn’t dig through his archives to find an old ID picture.

Keith stepped out of the car and Shiro wished him luck. He was still a few minutes early, so he waited for Shiro to pull off out of sight to head to the side of the building to light up a cigarette. If Shiro asked him about smoking today, he wouldn’t lie. He’d say that he needed it to calm his nerves enough to make a good impression, which wasn’t a lie at all. He was nervous. He knew that in order to get close to Lance, he had to make a good impression. And he was never good at first impressions. He had valid reason to be nervous.

He made sure to hold his cigarette away from himself and stood so that the wind blew the smoke away from him. He didn’t need to smell as gross as he normally would after smoking today. Keith took in a few drags and let his mind sit before he let it wander. He had never had a proper job before and he had no idea how to act. He figured he would just stay quiet and do what he was told, quietly observing everyone else and then mimic them. The information had said that Lance works closely with the interns, so he had plenty of chances to strike up friendly conversation with Lance and gain his trust.

There was movement next to Keith and a kid who looked younger than him had taken a spot next to Keith.

“Hey, sorry. Can I borrow your lighter? I completely forgot mine.” The kid offered a sheepish smile and a small shrug. Keith handed it over and watched him light up his own cigarette and hand it back. “Thanks. Is it your first day too?”

Keith didn’t really want to have to make small talk, but it was something to take his mind off of what he was going to do once inside. “Yeah.”

“Cool, cool.” The kid relaxed a little against the building, trying to act cool in front of Keith. Keith would have found it endearing if he was in a better mood. “What are you doing?”

Keith decided to humour the kid with a better conversation. “I got an internship.”

The kid’s face lit up a little at Keith’s words. “Me too! I’m Sam.”

“Keith.” Keith tossed his finished cigarette in the disposal bucket and looked back to Sam with a smile.

“If I don’t get picked, I hope you do,” Sam said then took another drag.

“Picked?” Keith didn’t read anything about being picked in anything Lotor gave him.

“What, you don’t know?” Keith shook his head at Sam. “The first intern that Lance picks always ends up becoming the one he hires.”

First intern? What first intern? There was nothing about this anywhere. Who was being picked? Why were they being picked? Was that important? “First intern?”

“You know, Lance chooses a new intern every day for the first week to take them and show them around personally, and the one he picks for the first day has become the one he’s hired. Maybe this year will be different, but a pattern is a pattern.”

This was a first to Keith, but it wasn’t relevant to his mission. He wasn’t going to get hired after this anyway, but he played along with Sam anyway. He doubted not knowing that would give him away, but he was better to be safe than sorry. “Oh, yeah. Shit, of course. How could I forget? I hope you get picked too, you know, if I don’t.”

“It’s your first day. You’re probably nervous. You’re allowed to forget things.” Sam patted him on the shoulder. “Anyway, I’ll see you in there.”

Sam seemed nice. He could probably use a friend here anyway. He was friendly and Keith should be taking notes. He’d been putting off having any since his job would most likely lead them to getting hurt, but what harm was having a work friend? Lord knows he needed and craved someone other than Shiro to talk to. Maybe Sam will fill that for him. Besides, he was cute. Not really Keith’s type, but how could Keith not talk to that squishy face and bright eyes that looked back at him?

Keith made his way away from Sam and inside, handing over his documents and ID to the security guard who directed him to reception where he was greeted by a cheerful woman. She then directed him to the conference room on the sixth floor where all the interns were meeting. When he arrived, there were three other people who were mingling at the head of the table. They all stopped and looked at Keith when he walked in, clearly not impressed by his blazer and jeans. They all had on well-fitted suits and dresses that probably cost more than Keith’s yearly rent. Keith felt terribly self-conscious in their gazes and was thankful when they shook him off and returned to their chatter. Keith didn’t try and talk to them. They didn’t seem like the type Keith would like anyway. They seemed snoody and the way they whispered among themselves probably about Keith was enough to make him want to never talk to them. Sure, things would change once they settled down but for the time being, he’d stick with Sam.

Sam, who had perfect timing, walked in at that moment. His grin was wide when he saw Keith and he headed straight for him. It was kind of nice not having to face ridicule from his peers alone. The two whispered a small greeting to each other but were stopped from any further conversation when the doors opened and a tall and handsome man walked in. _Handsome? Woah, where did that come from?_ Keith thought to himself as he watched the man walk around to stand at the other end of the conference table.

“What’s up, interns? I’m Lance, but if you’re here then you already know that.” Lance grinned and winked to his small crowd. He opened his laptop and took a seat and everyone else followed. “Alright. Now, by law, I’m required to give you all an induction. It’ll take about an hour or so, so try not to doze off.”

Keith found himself counting every word on each slide, bored out of his mind as Lance went on and on about the business. Everyone else appeared to be listening intently. That, or they had mastered sleeping with their eyes open. So when the last slide played, Keith almost shed a tear at how happy he was that it was over.

“Alright!” Lance clapped, making Keith jump in his seat, still a little vague after his visit to the void during the induction. “Now, who’s ready for the pop quiz?”

Keith, as well as the other interns, looked as if they had just seen their biggest fear. Good to know Keith wasn’t the only one who wasn’t listening. Turns out he and the snoody ones had more in common than he thought. But Lance just stood and laughed.

“Oh, that gets me every year. You guys always look so scared. Don’t worry, there’s no quiz. All you really need to know is where our fire escapes and first aid kits are. That’s why I put that at the start.” Lance shut the laptop and walked back towards the door. “Now for the fun stuff. I’ll show you where you’ll be working from now on. C’mon.”

Keith took the back of the pack when the interns followed Lance out the door and through the floor. Sam stayed a little bit in front of Keith but leaned back to make snide comments about the place that made Keith chuckle.

The floor was nice. They passed two kitchens that had multiple microwaves in them and complimentary biscuits that the company supplied. The whole place was amazingly lit with giant windows that let in enough light to light the entire floor. There were no cubicles to be found and everyone had their own office with their names written on the glass doors. Each office had a speaker which let the employee chose if they wanted to listen to the staff playlist or not and outside and in the main break room were couches and a TV that had a gaming console and a stack of games beside it. Keith was actually excited to work here.

Eventually, they were lead to the last room on the floor. Inside were five large desks with laptops and chairs that looked like they’d feel like sitting on clouds. Each desk had a name plaque on it that belonged to each of the interns. Keith could see that his was facing out of the window and was between Sam and Monique.

The five interns lined up and waited for Lance to instruct them further.

“This is your office. You only get one this year so treat it well.”  Lance patted one of the tables then walked the line of interns, eying them as he went. Lance was definitely something else alright. He then pointed at the intern to Keith’s left. “You,” but then he paused, sniffing the air a little. “No… You. Keith.” He pointed at Keith. “You smell like strawberries. Wait outside for me while I get these guys settled in for the day.”

Keith turned to look at Sam who just gave him two thumbs up. He guessed he was being chosen first. It kind of sucked since everyone else there deserved it more, deserved to be picked first and hired if the pattern continued, but he had a job to do and he wasn’t about to let his conscience get in the way of it.

He waited outside for Lance with his hands in his pockets. He could see inside the room that Lance was writing stuff on the whiteboard in there. He didn’t bother reading it since he’d be filled in later, either by Lance or another one of the interns.

Eventually, Lance left the interns. Keith looked back to Sam who was typing away on his laptop, but he noticed the others glaring at him. Looks like Keith has managed to piss off most of his peers, and it wasn’t even lunch.

“So, strawberry, huh?” Lance spoke as they walked.

“Yeah? So what? I happen to like how strawberry shampoo smells,” Keith replied probably a little too defensively.

“No, it’s fine. I like it. I like you standing up to me though. Very impressive, Red.”

Keith stopped in his tracks. Lance called him Red. Did he know? Fuck. Keith was an idiot. This was just a huge trap. Zarkon got him this time. Lance would probably lead him into a room where Shiro was held hostage and-

“Woah, dude, calm down. It’s just a nickname, alright? Red. Because you like strawberries?” Lance looked a little panicked as well, unsure of what to do with Keith and definitely not expecting that reaction from giving Keith a nickname.

“Oh, right. Yeah. A nickname,” Keith laughed awkwardly. There was nothing to worry about. Of course Lance was the type to use nicknames and Red was an obvious choice.

Lance relaxed back again when Keith regained himself. “Would you like a different one? What about ‘mullet’? After that terrible haircut of yours,” Lance teased in an effort to bring back the calm.

It worked and Keith smiled and let out a small huff of laughter. “Keith is fine.”

They end up walking in silence for a little while Lance ran around to gather some things while Keith followed patiently behind, figuring it best to stay out of his way. Lance ended up trying to strike up conversation again when they were in the elevator riding up to the top floor. “So, what are you thinking about doing with your first paycheck? And I don’t mean all that boring stuff like rent and bills. Tell me what dumb shit you want but don’t need.”

“Well, there’s this elephant lamp that my brother hates and I don’t mind it, so I wanted to buy it and put it in the living room where he’s staying.” Lance must have really liked his answer, because he was laughing and smiling at Keith.

“That’s definitely the best answer I’ve ever gotten. You gotta tell me all about it when you do it. I expect you to do it now, I hope you know that. I also want pics of that lamp.” Lance was certainly making it easy for Keith to get close to him. He was just given an open invitation to piss off Shiro _and_ talk to Lance again about something that wasn’t work related and bound to build up a bond. Maybe this job was going to be easy.

“I’ll make sure to do my best Shiro impression.” Keith was trying harder than he had ever tried to make friendly conversation. Shiro would be proud of him for being so open and friendly with someone he barely knew. Keith was proud of himself too. He was ignoring the urge to stand quietly and let Lance talk his pretty little face off.

“What else would you buy?” The elevator came to a stop and Lance led him out of the elevator. They began their walk to what he assumed would be Lance’s office.

“I don’t know. I haven’t really thought that far ahead.” Maybe he could buy some of those nicotine patches to help him quit smoking for good. They seemed to work last time, maybe they will again.

“I’m paying you a lot here, maybe you could fork over some pennies and get yourself a haircut.” Lance nudged Keith and laughed at his friendly jab at Keith. There was nothing malicious or mean in Lance’s tone at all. “Or… Maybe I could cut it?”

Keith looked over to Lance where he was looking back at him enthusiastically, apparently serious about his offer to cut Keith’s hair. “No. I’m good.”

“Ooh, Keith. Not afraid to tell me no. You’ll definitely go places here with that attitude.” Although Lance’s tone was mocking, there was a hint of truth behind his words that lead Keith to believe that Lance really was impressed with him.

Lance led the two of them into his office. He pushed through one of the large double doors and held it open for Keith. Lance’s office was as Keith had expected. There was a desk that was clearly Lance’s with picture frames and trinkets scattered around it and the shelf behind, and there was a small round table on the opposite end where two people currently sat. It was well organised despite the amount of papers and nick nacks that were littering the place and of course, the bin had a small basketball hoop sitting over.

“Keith. These are my advisors and best friends, Hunk and Pidge.” Lance beamed with pride as he introduced his friends. Lance did come off as the type of person that would be proud to call someone his friend and it was another one of Lance’s quirks that he hadn’t really seen in anyone before. Lance was a whole new experience for him. “Hunk is my head engineer and Pidge is my head programmer. I know, it must be shocking to learn I wasn’t born with the pure talent to run this company, but these guys know their shit and I’m learning.”

Keith nodded a polite “hello”, too distracted by the view that waited beyond the giant window that overlooked the entire city. Keith had no idea that Altea could be so pretty. Tall buildings in her heart that fell off into small shops on the outskirts and he could see the parklands surrounding the city. The building was so tall and Lance’s office was so high up he felt like he could be in the clouds. He could only imagine how breathtaking the view must be at night. The lights of the buildings like stars against the ground and the roads that lead out to the suburbs just white lines cutting through the black night.

Voices muttered in the background; conversation between Lance and his friends but Keith was too immersed in a world he’d never seen before.

“He’s not even wearing a suit,” Pidge said softly over the table.

“To be fair, neither are you,” Hunk piped up in defence of her comment on Keith’s presentation.

“Yes, but I’m basically the boss so I can dress how I want.” She closed her laptop and turned to the others fully. “Besides, you’d never catch me alive wearing one of those dresses I see everyone wearing. Yuck.”

“I don’t know,” Lance leaned his hands on the table and looked over at Keith as he stared in awe out of the window. “I was drawn to him. He reminds me of myself, you know? You remember my first day here and I was the CEO, not an intern.”

“Ha. Yeah. I remember that,” Pidge laughed and Lance cringed a little at the memory. “You showed up in jeans and a t-shirt which had a giant stain on the front. The press and the entire company showed up that day for your takeover.”

“Shut up. That shirt wasn’t stained when I put it on,” Lance shot Pidge daggers. He knew she was just teasing him though. It just meant that he’d have to find those pictures from Halloween four years ago. “What I’m saying is, I wasn’t prepared at all for this job and I really had no idea what to expect. And, by the looks of it, this guy is in the same boat.”

“But he went to business school and wrote an application to be here, surely he must have known to at least wear a suit.” If Keith was listening, he would be worried that Pidge might sense that something was fishy. All he could hope is that he isn’t asked about his application essay because Lotor never gave him a copy and he had no idea of what was written on it. If he was listening, he’d know he’d need to keep an eye out for her since she was very much likely to be the one to figure out his plans. Any slip up could give him away. He was dealing with geniuses now, not just moronic rich people with a bounty over their head.

“Benefit of the doubt, Pidge. But if it’s bothering you that much,” Lance stood back up straight and stretched his arms over his head and called out to Keith. “Hey, Keith! Why no suit?”

Keith drew his eyes away from the city and over to Lance. He blinked a few times, his eyes adjusting to the room that was dark when compared to the brightness of the sun-soaked buildings and bright sky. Although Keith was a little bit embarrassed at his answer, Lance had his hands behind his head and his relaxed tone meant that it was just a genuine question and not an interrogation. “I uh, I don’t own one.”

Lance moved his hands from the back of his head to his hips and he quirked his eyebrow at Keith, then turned to Pidge. “Would it make you happy if he was wearing one?”

Pidge pushed her chair back and kicked her feet up on the table, crossing her arms. “Maybe.”

Keith realised that they were probably talking about why he looked like a high school arts teacher and that that was why Lance had asked. He did feel kind of self-conscious being so underdressed when compared to the other interns and employees. Some wore suits and some didn’t but Keith still stood out. Lance didn’t scold him for it or even mention it, so he figured he was fine. Lance ran the company and he wasn’t as dressed up as most people there. He wore a light blue blazer with a white collared shirt underneath. There was no tie and he wore what looked like dark jeans like Keith’s. But he still managed to look like he belonged at the company. He still looked professional. Besides, he could wear what he wanted since he ran the place, so long as he looked presentable.

Across the room, Lance looked at his watch. “Come with me, Keith.”

Keith did as he was told and followed Lance out of the office. Hunk gave him a small smile and wave as he left which he returned with a smaller wave. Lance had to take a call while they were on their way down through the building, so Keith stood awkwardly next to Lance in the elevator and followed him close when they walked outside and over to a fancy black car that was waiting for them. They both got in the back of the car and Lance pulled away from the phone call to tell the driver where they were.

“Can you take us to Marcy’s, please?” Keith smiled a little at how polite Lance was to his driver. Of course the driver would take to them to Marcy’s, whatever that place was. It was his job. But yet Lance still asked and said please. It was nice and Keith didn’t expect it. He didn’t expect Lance to be who he was anyway. He was expecting a spoiled brat who no one liked like Lotor had said. But everyone seemed to love Lance. Even Keith thought he was alright.

Lance returned to the phone call and offered Keith a small apologetic smile. The car pulled out and Lance shifted to sit cross-legged on the back seat and made faces as the voice droned over the phone’s speaker. Keith smiled at how ridiculous Lance was being. It was probably an important call and Lance was making fun of the guy. Lance probably had a good strategy there, not taking anything too seriously. Probably saved him a bucket load of stress to be able to have some fun.

Eventually Lance hung up the phone. He groaned and looked over at Keith. “Sorry ‘bout that. I’m trying to set up a meeting with this other company’s head but he’s a pushy asshole and it all has to be on his terms and his times and dates, my schedule be damned.”

“Sounds crazy,” Keith offered for lack of better support. “So, where are we going?”

“We’re pulling up right now, actually.”  Lance pointed out of the window to a small carpark up just up ahead.

The car pulled in and the two got out. Keith followed Lance to a small store in the side of a tall building. _Marcy’s_ the sign read in a fancy script. Inside, Lance greeted the man behind the counter. “Marcy! Been a while, huh? How are you doing?”

Marcy stepped out from the counter and pulled Lance into a hug which he keenly reciprocated. “I’m well, I’m well.” Marcy stepped back and ran his hands down the lapels of Lance’s jacket. “You look great though! I can tell you’re taking the doctor’s words seriously and easing up on the stress.” What was that about stress? Lance seemed so calm to Keith.

“Yeah, I have. Although I do miss that nurse. She was totally into me.” Lance and Marcy laughed and Keith stood awkwardly by the entrance of the store. “How busy are you today? I have a favour to ask.”

“Anything for you, Lance.”

“That’s Keith. He’s a new intern but he doesn’t own a suit. So I thought I’d take him to the best tailor in this city to get his first one.” Marcy smiled at Lance and picked up a measuring tape and a notepad from the counter and gestured for Keith to follow. “You’re in good hands, Keith. Best suit you’ll ever own,” Lance elbowed him lightly as he walked past, following Marcy to the trifold mirror.

Lance took a seat in one of the armchairs and Keith stood waiting for Marcy to work his magic. He’d never been fitted for anything in his life and Lance seemed to take some pleasure in watching his expressions change as Marcy measured everything. Fortunately, Marcy was a pro and he was all measured in a few minutes and was free to join Lance on the other armchair. Marcy bought them over a platter of biscuits and coffee to tide them over while he was fixing up a suit for Keith.

 _Be nice be friendly be nice be friendly_ ran through Keith’s head as he racked his brain for anything to spark a conversation. Lance tapped away at his phone in the silence, clearly not as bothered by it or as awkward as Keith was. “So, shouldn’t you be at work?” Ah, that might not have been the best thing to say.

Luckily, Lance knew what he was going for and didn’t take it as harshly as it came out. “Probably. But if anyone needs me they can call me. Besides, this still counts as work. I’m spending time with an intern, am I not?”

“Yeah, but shouldn’t we be doing business stuff?” Keith had no idea what Lance did during one on one time with his interns, but he imagined it involved a little more learning about the company and what his role would be and a little less sipping coffee at a tailor’s. Not that he was complaining though. He could be in worse company.

“Yeah, but that stuff’s boring. I show you around and explain in more detail what we do and our process and maybe you get to sit in on a non-confidential meeting or two.” Lance poured out a coffee for himself and offered to do so for Keith. Keith nodded and Lance filled his cup as well. “You really aren’t missing out on much. I’ll give you a TL;DR when we get back.”

Keith took the cup and poured in some milk and sugar to his liking. “It’s probably a bit late now, but I can’t afford to buy this suit.”

“Good thing you weren’t gonna pay for it then.”

Keith looked up at Lance, surprised at the generosity. “What? Why?” He’d only known Keith for a few hours too. It didn’t make sense why Lance would but him a thousand dollar suit. “I won’t be able to pay you back for a while.”

“Because you aren’t wearing one and Pidge wants you to be wearing one. You’re not just pleasing me here, you gotta make my friends happy too. They help me decide who to hire at the end. You didn’t even rent one for your first day?”

“It slipped my mind.” Keith did feel kind of stupid for not thinking of that beforehand. But his mind was on other things, like memorising his new identity.

“Well, as much as I love this look you got going on, you’re gonna need a suit for this job anyway. We can’t have you showing up to a meeting looking like you just came from a dinner date now, can we?” Keith hoped Lance didn’t notice the small blush creeping up his cheeks from Lance saying he looked good.

“I guess not.”

“I gotta admit though, it was a great way to catch my attention. I didn’t like the trend of hiring the first person I chose on their first day but I didn’t mean to. It was always a coincidence so I decided to try choosing alphabetically this year. But then how could I not choose you? You stood out but in a good way. Brave enough to go against the grain with your hair and clothes. But it was the shampoo that sold me. I want Pidge and Hunk to see the potential I see in you but they just see you as unprepared.” What was Lance on about? Was he praising Keith? He was expecting Lance to be a spoiled piece of shit, not someone this energetic and cheery, like they were powered by a rainbow. Sure, he had the personality of someone who could very easily get on Keith’s nerves and he could see it happening sooner or later. But maybe Lotor was wrong, or he was in for a surprise when Lance turned. But for now, Lance was just a happy kid who just so happened to run one the most successful company in the world.

“How old are you?” Keith didn’t mean to ask that. It just slipped out. He looked younger than him, even younger than Sam who was probably only 21.

Lance didn’t seem bothered by the question and he took a sip of his coffee before answering. “Someone didn’t do their research.” Oh, perhaps Keith should have at least Googled Lance. “What? Don’t look so panicked. It means there’s more stuff to talk about. I mean, you will need to research clients before handling them but I’ll show you how to do that quickly and what to look for. That’s what this internship is for. You’re here to learn. I’m 22. I did read your files though, and you turn 23 in a few months so congrats, you’re older than me.”

Woah. Lance was young, younger than Keith had thought. “How long have you been running Lion?”

“I took it over when I was 19.” Lance was 19 when he took over. While Lance was taking over one of the biggest companies in the world, Keith was signing his soul over to an underground assassins club that he couldn’t get out of. What different worlds. Lance kept talking, “I’ll take that face to mean you’re impressed that I was so young. I didn’t have all the skills I do now, but I made it work.” And make it work he did.

Lance apologised for the lull in conversation that followed since he took that time to answer a few emails from his phone. Keith looked over every now and then to Lance and the thing that stood out to him was how expressive he was even doing mundane tasks. His face was constantly changing as he read and thought and replied. Lance probably didn’t even know he was doing it. Shiro does it occasionally when he’s concentrating on a task. Keith always found it amusing to watch how his face would scrunch up when he was budgeting or on the phone with the power company. Keith bought it up to him one day and he wished he hadn’t because it made Shiro self-conscious and he stopped doing it.

It wasn’t long before Marcy emerged with dark grey fabric draped over his arm. “Lucky for you, I had one already with your measurements. I just had to take up the pants and the sleeves but here.” He handed the suit over to Keith. “Go try it on.”

Keith stood and took the suit. He looked over to Lance who looked up from his phone to give Keith a supportive smile.

The first thing Keith noticed was how snug the suit was. It hugged his body perfectly. He didn’t look like a kid trying on their dad’s suit for fun at all. In fact, as he slipped on the jacket, he was impressed with how good it made him look. It was a huge change from his normal outfits but it was a good change. Shiro was going to be really jealous when he finds out that Keith bought his first suit without him though. Keith moved his limbs and body, watching the fabric slide as he made sure he could move without it tearing.

“C’mon Keith! Stop teasing and come show me!” Lance’s voice called out. Keith obeyed and stepped out of the changing room and out into the centre of the room. Lance beamed and ran his eyes all the way over Keith. “Wow, you look great.”

Keith turned his eyes away from Lance, feeling a blush rise at the compliment. Keith rarely got compliments and all of a sudden he was getting them left and right from his new boss. They weren’t even straight up compliments, just passing comments but it felt nice to be appreciated for something other than his ability to take out a target.

“How does it fit?” Marcy asked, admitting his handiwork.

“It fits really well, thanks.” Marcy smiled and nodded in acknowledgement and headed over to the counter to work out the cost.

“Money well spent, huh?” Lance stood and stepped over to stand next to Keith at the mirror and clapped his shoulder.

 “Yeah, I uh, thank you, Lance.” Keith looked away from Lance’s gaze through the mirror.

“It’s cool, man.” Lance handed a garment bag to Keith to put the suit in when he changed back. “As much as I want you to wear that back to the office, I can’t have the others knowing I’m giving you special treatment just yet.”

Keith nodded and returned to change back into his old clothes. He still looked fine but he missed the importance he felt in that damn suit. He gets it now, why people wear suits. It’s a wearable power trip.

When he emerged, Marcy was handing back Lance’s bank card and receipt at the counter whilst engaged in chatter with. He headed over and took his place next to Lance.

“Tell the kids I say hi, yeah? We’ll catch up soon,” Lance said and shook Marcy’s hand who agreed and wished him well.

The two left and walked back to the car. Lance put the receipt for the suit in his wallet before Keith had a chance to peek at how much it was. “Are you sure you don’t want me to pay you back?” Even though he couldn’t afford it and Lance was undoubtedly loaded, he still felt kind of bad.

“Well, now that you mention it. You can buy me a coffee before our interns meeting next Monday.” Keith knew Lance was playing, but it presented more opportunity to make progress in his mission objective. Any chance he’s given he has to pounce on because he sure couldn’t do it with his poor social skills alone. The quicker he could do so, the quicker he could get this job done. Although he still had no idea how he was going to leave the Galra again, he had time to figure it out. Maybe Lotor would show him mercy when he asks to retire his position.

They were barely in the car when Lance’s phone began to ring. He apologised again before taking it. The phone call barely lasted a minute before Lance hung up with a sigh. “Some dude from some big company wants to meet with me ASAP so I have to go meet with him when we get back to the office. So I’m gonna give you the quickest rundown of everything I’d normally explain over the day. You ready?”

“Uh, yeah?”

Keith was not ready. Lance went on and on about things that made no sense. There was stuff about marketing and design and programming and administration but that’s as far as Keith understood. From what he could gather, being an intern meant that he’d be shuffled from department to department as he learned the ins and outs those jobs. There was also something Lance mentioned about performance reviews and ideal fields but as Lance kept talking, more and more the words washed over Keith. He eventually gave up and just nodded along to everything Lance said. He’d figure it out on the job. There was definitely a reason Lance took the whole day to explain this one on one to each intern.

When they arrived back at the office, Lance had just finished the rundown of his intern spiel. He wished Keith luck on his first day and told Keith that he would have loved to take Keith with him to this meeting but it was dealing with confidential internal issues that few had access to. It was nothing against Keith, he just wasn’t at a high enough rank to join. Keith watched the car drive off and rubbed the back of his neck. He looked down at the suit and tried to push away all the feelings of doubt that circled his mind. Lance wasn’t anything like Lotor had said. He wasn’t at all what Keith expected either. But then again, he’d only just met the kid and first impressions aren’t always the correct portrayal of a person’s character. Keith knows this all too well himself. Most people don’t look past his sharp and defensive exterior when they first meet Keith. It’s not that he isn’t trying, it’s just that he’s learned the hard way what having friends means and he’s sick of people leaving him. It’s a defence mechanism he developed that he can’t really stop. His line of work didn’t exactly help him out in the friend department either. Having friends just added to the Galra’s leverage over him and Shiro getting hurt because of him was already too much for him to handle.

But Lance gave the impression that even if Keith was being himself, he would stick with him and realise that Keith isn’t as big of an asshole as he makes himself out to be. There was potential to build a real connection with Lance, it was just a shame that Keith was only there to stab him in the back. Keith just had to keep focused on his mission and not let his desire for a real connection with someone other than Shiro get in the way. It shouldn’t be too hard. He’s good at being distant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> do u ever just plan to write all day cause ur on holiday and theres nothing to do and then u end up watching every sp7 vid and losing all motivation for 2 weeks cause wow this is super late
> 
> (also lost my beta so im trying my best to proof extra hard for yall)
> 
>  
> 
> shameless self promotion: [tumblr](http://kentuckyfriedcapitalism.tumblr.com/)


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